Buddhist temple beloved by David Bowie faces disruption to silence after gun club plans firing range
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A Buddhist temple beloved by David Bowie and Billy Connolly faces disruption to its silence as a gun club plans two firing ranges.
Samye Ling, in the tiny Scottish village of Eskdalemuir, is Europe’s oldest, largest Tibetan monastery and currently home to more than 60 monks and volunteers.
Applications have been filed by Gardners Guns for a rifle range and a shooting centre less than two miles away from Samye Ling.
Ani Rinchen, 71, lived and worked at the monastery as a Buddhist nun for 10 years. She now runs an affiliated facility in Edinburgh on its behalf.
“My spiritual home is Samye Ling, and the same goes for thousands across the world,” she said. “The shooting range threatens to substantially disturb the peace of the whole valley.
“The centre attracts people for many reasons, including former servicemen with post-traumatic stress disorder. If gunfire starts going off when those groups are there, it could be horrendous.”
Residents are coordinating a petition against the shooting ranges to prevent disruption and potential damage to local wildlife.
US Air Force shooting exercises reportedly took place at Clerkhill last month, and Nicholas Jennings, chair of Eskdalemuir community council, said increasing numbers had approached him with concerns.
“More than 50 per cent of Eskdalemuir residents have an association with the Buddhist community. It’s just completely at odds with a rifle range,” he said.
Samye Ling, which hosted school trips and meditation retreats before lockdown, was blessed by the Dalai Lama on his visit to Britain in 1984.
David Bowie, a regular visitor, took vows of silence and even considered a career change to become a monk.
Other students included Leonard Cohen and Billy Connolly, who in 2012 reminisced about “enjoyable times spent with Lama Yeshi”, Samye Ling’s 77-year-old abbot.
Gardners Guns was contacted for comment.
